


day*1. CAFE IN THE ‘30s

by eloveated



Series: JAEHYUNGPARKIAN*WEEK [1]
Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: 1930sau, Café, JaehyungparkianWeek2018, M/M, Time Travel, day1, day6shipweeks2018
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-04-16 21:29:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14173800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eloveated/pseuds/eloveated
Summary: when jae comes to a music cafe for an interview, he does not expect to be so enticed by the place. or its owner...





	1. Young Kafe

**Author's Note:**

> I LITERALLY JUST COPIED AND PASTED THIS FROM MY WATTPAD BC I REALIZED AO3 WAS THE MORE COMFORTABLE/OFFICIAL PLACE FOR THE DAY6 SHIPWEEKS, rip

1930s in la!au

*

writing to jazz is so relaxing, i'm so giddy and comfortable at the same time...

like. "long ago (and far away)" by chet baker is so flippin pretty, i can;t

Also, when I was writing with no music, "Recording Sketch" by Vixx's N (?) kept playing in my head, so you could say this story was partly inspired by that :)

i tried to focus on the setting for more emphasis on the time zone (tho i usually don't write like that) :) i really hope i didn't mess too much up ahhaa even thouugh i know the 1930s werre DEFO not like what i wrote... anyway, i;m such a bad writer ;/

Let's get on with the short story, shall we XD

***

"alright, jae. let's get it!" jae slowly pushed open the door to one of the most well-known tune cafes in los angeles and made sure that his guitar case did not get stuck in the door as he stumbled inside. today, he had an interview with his potential boss, and he was beyond nervous. as he took a few tentative steps inside, the black-haired man comfortingly clutched his guitar case to his chest and tapped his fingers on it to cool down. 

once he looked up from his feet, jae glanced around the cozy cafe in awe. he finally allowed his guitar case to leave his chest and swung it from one of his hands. its peeled, worn plaster tapped against his leg as he slowly began to walk forward in a dream-like stupor, but he paid it no mind. the man was too busy admiring the interior of the cafe to notice such irrelevant details at the moment. 

the pale yellow walls were fittingly framed by fascinating white marble columns, supporting gaping archways leading into the center of the cafe. plants adorned the walls and vines climbed up the columns, giving the place a homey feel. glass tables with comfy little chairs were spaciously ordered around the expanse of the cafe, little plants placed at the center of each one along with sugar and a small jar of honey. but what entranced jae the most was the centerpiece all of these details led to. the circular stage planted smack-dab in the middle of the building. 

it was... gorgeous.

lights played at the edges of the gazebo, catching the shots of sunlight streaming in from the open glass ceiling and allowing them to twinkle and sparkle on the metal of their holders. the gazebo itself matched the columns, and it was as vast and wide-open as them. there was enough space in it for a small group of performers to fit, and the top must have been open to the sunlight, as a bright spotlight shone at its center, easily illuminating the person currently standing there. as jae walked closer and closer to the gazebo, minding the glass tables neatly placed to the right and left of the pathway he was walking through and his mind never leaving its trance-like state, he could better see the individual talking to the small audience gathered around him at their tables. 

a man with glossy, gelled-back hair was softly speaking into a standing microphone, his lips brushing the metal from time to time as his eyes crinkled into shy smiles. jae stopped when the man noticed him and sent him a short glance of recognition before murmuring into the mic, "hello there! you must be jae park. i recognize you from the photograph you sent by telegraph. i'll be over to interview you soon; i have only one song left to perform. thank you for coming early today." he waved over a waiter and signaled for the man to lead jae to a table, but before the waiter could reach jae, the man "oh"ed and murmured once more into the microphone with a playful tone. "i'm young k, by the way. i'm sorry for not introducing myself sooner."

as the waiter ushered jae over to a table situated viewing distance of the gazebo and took his order, jae realized just how heart-wrenching it was to be addressed by a person on stage. once he had safely set his guitar case beside him on the floor and quietly asked for some hot oolong tea ("no milk, please"), jae turned back to the stage. he felt his heart leap when he noticed that young k had waited for him to place his order before he began to sing. because only when he looked up at the stage did young k smile and nod at the pianist sitting at the glamorously white grand piano next to the gazebo, allowing her to begin playing the melody to his last song of the morning. 

the sound of the keys being softly tapped by the pianist flowed into jae's ears like honey spilling into a cup of steaming tea, and a few seconds of jae swaying his body to the beat and closing his eyes in bliss passed before the melody faded for a little bit, opening a pathway for young k to start singing. 

the first note throbbed and pulled at jae's heartstrings, drawing his eyes open and directing them to the stage where young k's heavenly voice was coming from the breathy pull of his lips on the air. the graceful lips' halting serenade on the microphone drew jae's mouth open and he took in every sound echoing around the cafe. the sounds of dishes softly clattering against glass tables and slurping of beverages from dainty cups faded away, lulled to sleep for an infinitesimal sliver of time as young k's voice carried through the ears of the audience. every time an especially long note came out of the singer's mouth, he would sensually tilt the microphone towards himself, lingering his lips on it as his eyes closed in soft emotion and his eyebrows drew slightly together and up and his nose creased and raised a bit. each and every second of hearing the man's voice carry over to him through the mic swayed jae, captivated him in a veil of comfort and excitement and every other beautiful emotion out there. every time young k's gaze accidentally met his which caused a fleeting smile to settle on the man's lips while he sang, jae's heart would pulse, and when the waiter woke him up from his trance, he noticed the drool sliding down his lip for the first time. sending a quick and quiet thank you to the waiter and wiping his drool with the handkerchief he was offered along with his tea, jae turned back to the stage, where young k was dancing to the sliding of the piano and the straining of the alto-sax and the strumming of the contra-bass, whose sounds melded perfectly together in a mellow jazz melody. 

jae smiled and took a slurp from his tea cup, humming at the warm and easing taste of the liquid before looking back up. his glasses had fogged up a bit because of the tea, so he quickly wiped them with the handkerchief. but when his vision finally registered young k dragging his tongue over his bottom lip as he danced and biting his lip, all while gazing at jae (was it on accident? who knew?), the poor man nearly dropped his tea cup in surprise. feeling the burn of scalding hot tea trickling onto his fingers, jae hissed and carefully placed the cup back onto its plate and wiped his burning fingers with the 'kerchief. but the sensation of redness creeping up his fingertips did not distract his curious gaze from the stage, and jae was glad for this. because his eyes were met with a soft body roll, an innocent spin, and a grab of the mic and tilt of it towards the audience as young k's eyes screwed shut and his mouth widened in the emotional drawl of a particularly sensual note that made jae's toes subconsciously curl inside his slacks. jae's heartbeat never strayed from the rhythm for the rest of the song, his ears never strayed from the vibrations of young k's lingering voice, his eyes never strayed from the performer's emotion-clad face. and when the song was over and the instrumental sounds faded, leaving the last breath of the singer echoing through the microphone, jae felt his heart beat out the final traces of rhythm that were meant to silently hide in this last note of the jazz melody.

claps suddenly filled the air around him, some soft sounds of hollering and whistling breaking jae out of his trance. his hands found each other and he joined the clapping individuals as young k pleasantly introduced the musicians who had been playing their instruments along with him, earning more applause from the small group of cafe-dwellers, and then he shyly thanked the audience for their attention and made his way down the few steps of the gazebo. as soon as he remembered that young k was going to come to his table for an interview now that his  performance was over, a flustered blush crept onto jae's cheeks and encompassed his ears, and the glasses-clad individual picked up his cup to take a sip from it to calm himself down. his gaze on the table, jae breathed out into his teacup to steel himself. he realized that this had been a mistake when he saw his glasses steam up once more. as he set his cup down with shaky fingers and grabbed blindly for his 'kerchief, he heard the chair in front of him being pulled out and felt a pair of hands gently tug his glasses off his face. 

"here, allow me." young k wiped the glasses with his own dry handkerchief, placing them back on jae's nose when he was done. "better?"

"yes, thank you," jae stuttered. his face turned even more pink and he lifted his shoulders for confidence.

"good." young k finally sat down and fixed the collar of his pink dress shirt, which had begun to slide down his shoulder, scandalously showing off his collar bone. jae almost turned as pink as the shirt having witnessed this action, but he willed himself to calm the fuck down and just snap out of it already. "so, jae park, huh?" when jae nodded, young k smiled. "you can call me young k or brian, whichever you prefer."

"i like brian better. it fits your face more smoothly," jae blurted out, covering his mouth with the handkerchief he had finally gotten his hands back on and blushing madly. upon hearing brian's gorgeous laugh fill the air between them at the table, softened further by the sound of a simple piano and contra-bass melody filling up the cafe, jae started to stutter out through the muffling fabric of the 'kerchief pressed to his lips, "ah, i mean... brian is just smoother-sounding than young k... and you give off that soft kind of vibe... you know?"

"hmmm... not really. would you care to elaborate?" the owner of the cafe teased.

"no," jae breathed out, already embarrassed enough. "no, i would not."

"that's okay, then." brian's eyes became soft as he looked down at jae's tea cup. "what kind of tea did you get?"

"oolong."

"i've never seen somebody drink oolong without milk," brian breathed out in wonder.

"i can't drink milk."

"oh... i'll keep that in mind."

jae cursed his heart for jolting.

"so, jae... you want to be a guitarist here?"

jae nodded, playing with his fingers. "yes."

"can you sing?"

"sure. who can't?"

brian warmly chuckled, his eyes crinkling in a heart-wrenching way. "i like that attitude. more people should have it."

"thanks."

brian chuckled again and jae swore he was into girls. he couldn't be like that roommate of his... mark would never stop teasing him for it, telling him over and over how many times he had told him this would happen... and had been right about it... fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc-- "so... why are you out in only a t-shirt, if i may ask?"

jae looked down at his clothing, his mouth going slack when he noticed his mistake. so that's why the waiter had looked at him with pity. "ah, i'm so sorry," he muttered out once he came back to his senses. a blush of discomfort and embarrassment crept down his neck. "i didn't mean to come here in my undergarments... i just had to run out of my apartment because my roommate had his partner over and i forgot to wear my dress shirt... i'm so so sorry..." *apparently  tshirts were considered underwear in the 1930s or something?? wth?!*

a friendly, bubbly laugh sounded across from him and jae looked up to see brian waving his hands around. "it's okay. it's honestly fine. i have nothing against it... i just wanted to know if you were trying to start a new fashion trend or rebel or something." the man stood up and continued, "since i will be evaluating your skills on stage, let me get you a dress shirt to wear. i don't want you to feel uncomfortable just because you forgot your clothes at home."

as he walked away with a warm smile and a slight giggle on his tongue, jae's gaze followed him. for a second, the guitarist's eyes flicked to the man's ass, but when jae caught them doing that, he flung his eyes back to the table. his face would never stop burning today, would it? and then brian was stopping in his tracks and returning to the table, and jae was scrambling to find something to do to cover up his mistakes... all those fucking mista--

"you know, i just realized how improper it is to change in public. why don't you come with me? and bring your guitar with you."

jae curtly nodded and stood up from his seat. he took one last sip from his teacup before grabbing his guitar case and following after brian. as they entered the back of the cafe, jae noted the warm, light-orange interior, plants lining the walls, a simple bed in the corner, pictures framed up on the walls, a lamp, a window, a windowsill with yet more plants, a dresser, a small kitchen, a breakfast table. jae caught sight of a newspaper lying on the table. the main article was titled, young kafe in la reaching new level of popularity as of late, and then something just clicked in jae's mind. "is it called young kafe because your stage name is young k?" he covered his mouth as soon as these words flew out of it, because of fucking COURSE that's why its called that, jae, you fucking idiot!

"yeah. not all people understand, actually. it's kind of disappointing." 

"well, more people should be like me. you said so yourself." jae didn't know where the sudden courage to act like his usual self came from, but it seemed to please brian quite a bit.

"that's right." the man lifted out a casual, white dress shirt with faded blue vertical stripes from his dresser and shut the drawer. "but i'm still glad you're the only you out there." he paused in front of jae, holding out the shirt to him. "jae park." his voice -- halting, slow, taunting; oh how jae wanted to run back to his apartment in embarrassment and tell his roommate every single fucking detail... but then he would have to listen to mark yell on and on about how he knew he would be right someday and that jae would own up to his lack of attraction to women that he would never give up to try to find.

"thanks," jae spoke, trying to pull the shirt over his head as quickly as he could. unfortunately, the buttons were all done up and his head would not fit through the neck opening no matter how hard he tried pulling it through. 

brian noticed this and breathed out a chuckle. he stepped forward and stopped jae's frantic actions by gently grabbing onto his hands. "woah, woah. slow down. do you really want to rip my shirt that much?"

jae's entire face burned up even though he couldn't see brian from under his shirt. "no. i'm sorry." his hands clasped around brian's as he shifted to stand up to his full height. 

then brian was laughing again, squeezing his palms real quick and untangling their hands to trace his fingers up jae's arms and to the buttons on the shirt. his dexterous fingers masterfully unlatched each button, slowly, haltingly, just like his voice. and when jae could finally see him through the fabric of his shirt, he was met with brian's face only a few inches away from his own, looking down at the buttons he was undoing at the middle of the shirt. the slightly shorter man began to murmur as jae continued to watch him, gazing at how handsome young k was from so close up. not like he wasn't breathtakingly handsome from far away. but jae figured he would not get to see brian from so close up ever again, so that was something. "this is not a t-shirt, jae. do you not know that you're meant to unbutton a dress shirt and put it through your arms, not try to stick your head in firs--" brian finally looked up and noticed jae looking at him, his sentence cutting off as he stared at the man before him in awe. "oh. hello."

jae snapped out of it and swiftly snapped his head down so he was looking at the floor, a shade of embarrassed red taking over his neck. "i'm sorry," he whispered out, gently pushing brian's hands away from the shirt and clumsily unbuttoning the last button. "i usually leave the top button of mine undone so i can pull my head through first."

the owner of the dress shirt took a step back to give him some space to put the shirt on. when jae had trouble pulling his arms through the dress shirt without having his t-shirt crease uncomfortably under its long sleeves though, brian spoke up and stepped closer to jae once more. "wait. that won't work." jae stopped fumbling with the sleeves and looked at brian. their close proximity caused jae to gulp and he turned his eyes down once more as the other man spoke again. "let me help."

jae stopped moving altogether when brian slid the dress shirt off of his arms and draped it over his shoulder. he held his breath when the other man held onto the bottom of his t-shirt and brought it over his head, revealing his bare chest. while brian carefully slid his arms back through the dress shirt and buttoned it, a soft hue of light pink painting his cheeks, jae stood there with a thudding heart and a sluggish mind. fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fu--

"all done." brian patted his chest, where a pocket for a handkerchief or a pen was mindfully sewn into the dress shirt. "now you can go perform that song for me."

"thank you," jae breathed out, locking eyes with brian for a second before grabbing his guitar out of its case and following the man back out to where the gazebo was waiting. "you got this, jae! bring it, baby!!" he whispered to himself as brian went to sit at a table directly in front of the gazebo and sent him an encouraging wave. 

once jae had sat himself down in front of the lowered microphone and adjusted his guitar on his lap, he looked at brian to see a grin growing on his face. "introduce yourself," brian encouragingly said, winking at jae.

jae felt his heart do the mad galumph, galumph before he gulped back his nervousness and flipped the switch to, "hello, everybody! my name is jae park, and i will be singing and playing guitar for you! gimme some love, now, would you?" a confident smile graced his lips as the people at the tables let out a few celebratory whoops and encouraging claps. and then he started to play. 

brian watched jae's fantastic fingers expertly dance over the strings of his gorgeous guitar and listened to the sweet, sweet sound of the notes coming from the instrument. the song was calm, allowing the audience members to chill but captivating them enough to keep them from talking amongst themselves throughout the performance. jae had captured the audience members' attention even before he began singing, younghyun noted. that had not been the case with any of his previous interviewees and employees. jae was special, he knew it. 

when jae did begin singing, brian felt his stomach clench in satisfaction, knowing full well that THIS was exactly the voice he had been looking for when he sent out a job request form to the newspaper. and, fuck, was he happy that jae was the one whose voice fit exactly with his needs and expectations for the cafe. 

the performing man's eyes were closed in total serenity as he sang, his mouth either wide open in a straining oval or forming a comfortable half moon with small smile lines tugging at the corner or his lips. jae was clearly in his natural habitat on the stage, his body rocking to the rhythm, his crossed legs swinging and foot tapping to the rhythm, his fingers constantly strumming and tapping and sliding. younghyun couldn't draw his eyes away from the alluring sight of the man before him, couldn't tune out his soulful voice for anything. those breathy sighs between verses where what he lived for, those fleeing moments when jae's eyes opened to look his way and innocently blink at him, those times when his breath caught in his chest because jae moved his face forward to drag his lips on the same mic his lips had lingered on only a short time ago... brian never wanted it to end. 

but soon enough, jae's voice faded off into the distance, his fingers dragging the last notes out of his trusty guitar until those faded, too. the cafe-frequenters applauded with zeal, calling out jae's name and hollering in joy. but all that mattered to jae was brian standing up from his chair and saying, "you're hired. welcome to young kafe... jae park."

***

AAAAAAAAH I WANt to WRITE A SEQUEL to this SO FUCKING BAD BUT I HAVE TO START WORKING ON THE OTHER DAYS rip


	2. Younger and Younger Kafe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which jae starts to forget his denial and replaces it with affection.

_the lights were dimmed when jae stumbled into his apartment. as always, he tripped over the crease in the rug that greeted him at the door like a faithful dog (he payed it no mind), and then he set his guitar case beside the divan, on which he finally settled down with a lengthy exhale and an outward toss of his aching legs. he'd have to make the walk to and from the cafe daily, he reminded himself, and the thought itself left him with a feeling of dread. a small draft passed through the room and ruffled the sulking man's collar, creasing his clothing. the window was open. jae slid his fingers over his chest to rid of the crease riddling his upper body and froze._ So... So soft?.. _his clothing was usually coarse, or at least knotted in places... as his eyes cautiously moved lower and lower, jae counted every breath he took like a conductor swaying his arms to a set beat. when his gaze finally stopped to hover over the material of a plain white dress shirt with vertical blue stripes, his mind did a double take; that's right, he had met young k -- brian -- today._ Oh, Brian... I have to make sure to return his shirt when I come to work tomorrow!  _the musician's nose wavered over the fabric, wrinkled up in disgust._ Better wash it, first...

 _the young man begrudgingly set his feet on the floor so he could lift himself from his comfortable position and made his way over to the washroom. the multi-purpose lavender soap was taken out of the drawer for the first time in ages, was doused in water and used to scrub away at the grime on the faded shirt. jae's forehead was welled in sweat. he didn't care. all he knew at the moment was brian — his overwhelmingly charming new boss, the one who was refusing to leave his brain despite all the attempts to keep him out of there — and this was brian's shirt._ Brian's shirt... I can't believe I was wearing  **his** shirt... jae's  _hand movements slowed while his heart pranced at an unusually speedy pace._ Shit... What have I become? Some chick in a gothic novel?!  _the distraught man was forced to wash his hair when his denying fingers found refuge in his mussed locks._  
  
  


_*_   
  
  


_an hour had passed from the moment he first lay on the divan, and there jae was again, thinking about a certain alluring man all while staring at the ceiling. jae wasn't homosexual... he wasn't homosexual at all!! so why were a man's bassy voice and gentle fingertips playing on repeat in his head like the record blasting tino rossi's rendition of "poeme" with the crackly needle dancing along its smooth surface on the stand beside the lamp?_ Goddammit, Mark! It's all your fault!!!

 _and just as jae passed his fingers through his freshly-washed hair for the millionth time that evening, he heard the lock on the front door click, and then the sound of footsteps carried over to him from behind the small wall unnecessarily making itself comfortable in front of their door to obstruct vision of the living room. jae's groan echoed around the cramped living area in a grumpy:_   _"great. he's back..." fists clenched, eyes squinted, the man slipped off of the divan and stomped over to the door to grab his roommate by the strap of his satchel bag. "you sleazy bastard! you've finally done it! now take responsibility for your actions!!"_

_"hey, hey! what did i ever do to you? i only just came home and you're already attacking me." mark's hands rose to wave around before he tried to tug his satchel away from jae's tight grip._

_"what did you do to me? you infected me with your false beliefs, is what you did to me!!"_

_"what the hell?!"_

_"don't play innocent with me, tuan. i've always accepted you for who you are, but you never let me be myself in peace — always pestered me about goddamn lies and how i'm 'just denying the truth' — ALL BULLSHIT!! now because of you i'm in this huge shithole of a brain mess and can't get back in my own mindset!!"_

_the younger man's eyes were wide set in a question, and soon his mouth became an "o" to complete the look of surprise. "still have no clue, my man."_

_"you see this?!" jae was extremely frustrated: why couldn't mark just let on already so he wouldn't have to say it all out loud?!! "this... THIS is what i mean. 'my man.' yeah, i'm not 'your man' — i'm not any man's man, and i've never been that way — but now... but now my new boss is so goddamn... just... yeah. you know what i mean!!"_

_"what... he seduced you?" mark's eyes grew wider still, and a stray strand of gelled-up hair fell over them like a fainting duchess. "you have to file a case against him if he harassed you!!!"_

_jae's hand rose to unceremoniously smack his own forehead. a sharp hiss followed. "no, ya dimbit, i'm fucking gay for him!!"_

_his roommate's mouth sculpted itself into an "o" once more; this time in a gesture of understanding. "oh..." his eyes grew sneaky and cheeks hollowed in as his hands slipped into his pockets. "i see..."_

_"what do you fucking see, tuan?!" jae's snarling face matched the fist raised in fury beside his face. "my fist coming at you?"_

_mark didn't even flinch. his arms crossed, shoulder rested against the door, legs crossed, too. "i see you letting loose that veil you've kept over your true feelings since the beginning of the world."_

_jae was too busy slapping his beaming roommate's shoulder to retort._   
  
  


_*_   
  
  


_"welcome to young kafé!_   _what would you like today, sir?"_

_jae looked up at the owner of the familiar voice, finding himself staring at a just-as-familiar face which immediately brought a tremor to his already fast-beating heart. "hello there, brian." he couldn't help but smile when said café owner sat down in the chair across from him at the tiny circular table with the tiny plant and tiny honey pot and tiny sugar jar which he occupied, and when the man placed his chin on his rough-looking palm and sent over the most dazzling grin jae had ever seen, the musician nearly let his throat bubble up with a giddy giggle._ **_nearly_ ** _..._

_"hello there, jae."_

_jae thought that maybe, just maybe, he could get used to the heart-wrenching sensation he got from that in some time._ Hopefully soon,  _he thought to himself._ Hopefully  **right   n o w**...

_"jae?"_

_the man being called for with a sway of brian's free hand finally shrugged himself out of his daydreaming state. "huh?.."_

_"you're drooling." jae froze when he felt young k wipe the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, shoulders raised, lips pouted outwards in confusion at his own reactions. "there. now you look decent enough to go on stage," younghyun half-joked, half-instructed, all while sending his own freshly-baked batch of heart-eyes to meet the older man's love-struck gaze._

_"a... ah." jae clattered up, nearly dropping his chair in his hurry to get his sorry ass away from the man he was so unexpectedly crushing on. he didn't need any more slip-ups -- his brand new job was worth more than his newfound romantic confusion -- and he wanted to simply prove to himself that he was in control, to brian that he was capable of working with determination, and to mark that_ **_he was not gay_ ** _. so his feet trudged away from the table after he sent his boss a salute and a hushed, "yessir."_

_the lanky man's figure was trailed by a pair of creased eyes and a faint grin of admiration. "why does this man intrigue me so damn much?.." younghyun tilted his head to the side as if resetting an hourglass and watched as the object of his curiosity unpacked his instrument and tuned it with his long legs crossed over a tall stool set at the center of the young kafé's_   _prized veranda. "i wonder if i'm--"_  
  
  


_*_   
  
  


_jae busily packed up his guitar and got ready to leave the veranda to make way for the next group of artists who would be taking over the stage. a smile tugged at his face. though it was quite early in the morning, the café was already bustling with interactive customers -- many of the audience members' eyes did not leave him for as long as he was singing, their hands didn't stop clapping no matter how long he drew out his thank yous or rests between songs, and the rookie was thankful for that. such unprecedented support had definitely helped him ease into a more comfortable position on stage._

_the musician suddenly felt a hand rest on his shoulder, and soon a single word, "_ **_stay_ ** _," melted into his ear, a voice of hushed tones, of a ragged grace not many possessed. it was young k._

_jae's head nodded of its own accord, nervous fingers clutched at a lone guitar case strap, lips twitched up into an unknowing arc. younghyun looked on, acting unfazed. but oh... he was fazed alright..._

_"as you request, boss."_

_younghyun's attempt at an unbothered expression fled, replaced by a twinkling set of teeth. "compliant, i see."_

_"for you, always." jae's hushed tone met deaf ears, and he shook away brian's confused "mm?" with a wave of his hand. "why am i staying again, mr. kang?"_

_younghyun's raised eyebrow immediately made way for a clear forehead. "you're singing with me, of course."_

Did I hear him wrong?!!  _flashed in the shocked man's mind._ Maybe I need an ear piece as well as spectacles...

_brian, however, truly felt his heart skip a dozen beats at his own nerve. "you hear me, mr. park?"_

_"sorry--" jae cut himself off in fear that he may truly make a mistake. "once more."_

_a humor-filled sigh preceded a strangely seductive phrase, made so by a gruff, bass-filled voice and fingers lightly tracing jae's shirt collar. "sing with me."_   
  
  


*  
  
  


_"mark... i'm gay."_

_the man who had been called looked up from his newspaper and shook it out as if it needed a good dusting while jae moved into the living room after kicking his shoes off of his feet. "yes. and?--" his bespectacled eyes returned to the yellowing paper immediately._

_"and..." jae groaned. he was definitely in a dejected mood right now, and the best he could do was talk to a homosexual about his newfound homosexuality._ Great... Now that's not gonna be biased at all...  _"and-- and i just don't know what to do..."_

_with a sigh, mark set his reading spectacles to the side as his attention shifted to the disgruntled man in front of him. hands ready to comfort folded the newspaper in half and a warm body turned in a solitary chair to face a man with pouted lips and glossy eyes. the american-taiwanese man's stern tone did not match his deceptively soft exterior look, however. "well, what have you been doing so far?"_

_"..." jae took a few seconds to gather his thoughts together. his head still seemed pretty blank, though. "uh... i mean, i've kind of been panicking?? he--" the lanky man felt his cheeks warm up but kept talking anyway before he could lose his streak of courage. "my boss asked me to sing with him. and he wanted to sing al jolsen's 'all alone' -- and you_ **_know_ ** _how important that song is to me..." jae's heart eyes only twinkled brighter as he said what he said next. "and you know... we didn't sing it quite as fast as al does... we took it down a notch, made it more intimate, more breathy. and the contrabass was pulling at the strings in my heart because his voice was such a melody beside it, and the violins were drawing a smile on my cheeks, and after the performance... after we left the stage... he told me i was the first and **only**  person he ever sang a duet with on that stage... he said he wouldn't have it any other way." jae's throat constricted; he could no longer go on._

_mark looked at him with a softness in his eye, and the musician felt a newfound ease creep into his heart. "maybe that means you two feel something special." the young man's lips were drawing up in a fond grin, his newspaper left abandoned on the table as he got up to pat jae's bony shoulder. "give it some time; you'll figure it out if you take it slow."_

_suddenly jae thought that maybe talking to a gay person about gay things wasn't so bad... those few words were enough for now. "hey... thanks."_

_mark's lips tilted upwards a bit more. "no problem. i've been there before... just don't worry and don't rush. be yourself. alright?"_

_jae's head tilted down in a gratuitous nod._   
  
  


*  
  
  


_"encore!! encore!~"_

_brian looked over at jae with an enormous grin plastered on his face. it was currently the older man's turn to take a break, so the owner of the café had taken over the veranda with his fingers professionally balanced over the keys of the pristine grand piano which constantly decorated the stage. at the notion of a second chance to perform, to perform at the will of the audience rather than through obligation to keep his café musically occupied, the man decided to have some fun. so of course he gestured for his four-month-long employee (his_ **_favorite_ ** _employee, at that, not that he would ever admit it even though it was damn obvious) to join him for a duet._

_younghyun still didn't know why he allowed himself to open up to jae, to make him the only person with whom he sang duets on his priceless young kafé stage, that one special person to whom he could offer his voice as a harmony in a place so dear to him, in a place so... untouched. he knew he was attracted to the older man... but still. a few hours of knowing the guitarist and BAM! there went his prized veranda duet virginity. now four months had passed of them being acquainted, and nothing much had changed. it was as if jae had sprung into his café and shot him with a cupid's arrow -- young k was most definitely in love, and there was no denying it; especially when his heart was aching to draw the musician closer and closer with every day that passed (they had gotten to know each other better by talking whenever they were free, by stealing secret glances, ordering favorite teas and coffees and treats for each other when the other was performing... but he wanted something MORE, something CLOSER YET) -- and the café owner simply let himself roll with the tide at this point. he knew about the underground homosexual societies hidden beneath la, but he had no need for them any longer. simply being attracted to a man like jae was enough to keep him satisfied. he didn't need a bar full to the brim with dancing men, a pleasurable moment, a one-night 'time of his life' anymore; seeing jae every day (except the weekends) was his saving grace from breaking (shitty) laws, seemingly..._

_jaehyung's face brightened and he immediately rose from his seat when he saw younghyun's signal. as soon as his eager feet carried him up the small set of stairs leading to the veranda-stage, a whispered, "what are we singing, mr. kang?" left his grinning lips._

_"i was thinking of only instrumentals for today. what are you up for?"_

_jae's heart twitched along with his fingers, and he shyly uttered out, "freelance?"_

_younghyun's brows lifted in a secretive gesture of_ How did you know I wanted that? What are you doing to me, Park Jae Hyung??! _his lips tittered up into a grin, teeth shone with a sparkle similar to the one accenting his sharp eyes, and his fingers formed into a gorgeous chord which smoothed over his reply of, "how did you guess my thoughts, mr. park?" like butter over warm bread._

_jae only smiled._

_soon enough, his guitar was back in his hands, the café_   _dwellers were settling in their seats with eager eyes and waiting ears, and both performers were sending each other looks of confirmation (with a bit of... a L O T of... adoration laced in between)._

_"ready?"_

_jae nodded._

_"good."_

_then they began. jae strummed chord after chord, slowly, haltingly, his fingers lingering on the frets and smoothing over the strings for that satisfying sound of metal sliding over fingernails. young k hummed, waited, joined in after a bit. jazz. jazz and the sounds of intertwining harmonies, straying notes, off-beat wanderings in the sake of musical creativity. it was all so free, so banded together and taken apart and sewed back together, and jae was loving every second of it. younghyun was surprisingly good with his fingers -- the guitar was in his dictionary, the piano was in his thesaurus, the bass was in his blood -- and the older man couldn't help but imagine those skilled hands tracing over his body some time later. his motions halted, lip grew slack, eyes glossed over._ Well...Damn.

_brian only continued to play, a twinkle in his eye and a prance to his fingertips. the break in the guitar strumming only brought the café owner to a well-placed piano solo, gave his mind some room to roam, to think of his fingers twirling through jae's matted black hair -- the man, unlike most, did not bother to gel back his messy locks, and younghyun was living for it -- and tugging the man's face closer and in for a heart-melting kiss. the speed of the pianist's fingers rose and rose, matched the beat of his heaving chest; a sweat droplet fell to his straining hand, tongue lifted to lick at his upper lip, eyes flickered over to the man watching him in awe from beside the piano. his teeth unintentionally gripped onto his lower lip as he concentrated, hot, h o t, jae in his sight and music in his mind, frantic, quick, forte, allegro -- presto -- prestissimo, even -- and then jae was joining in once more, as quick as him, just as fast, just as needy, heating up, wanting... but soon younghyun felt his strength faltering, his fingers aching, and even the sight of the guitarist's staring eyes and parted lips wouldn't keep him together for much longer. so he sent jae a few nods, signalling how many beats till their stop -- four -- four more... and then they both halted, caught their stolen breaths as the audience burst into applause, into coos of "bravo" and "bravo bis!"_

_jae sent younghyun a breathless smile, and the man felt his heartbeat falter._   
  
  


*  
  
  


 _jae walked into his apartment with a sigh. it was unusually quiet -- mark would usually be playing a record by this time -- they had gotten enough complaints from the neighbors for jae to know from the past -- and the glasses-clad musician peeked into the living room in worry. "wh-- matt?" indeed, there stood matthew kim with mark all wrapped up in his arms, their lips dancing together, eyes closed and ignorant to jae's presence._ Did he forget that I'm coming home earlier than usual?  _jae thought to himself while trying to erase the image of mark and his man out of his mind. "guess i'll leave you two to it, then..." jae whispered to himself and grabbed his key back out of his pocket. the males interlocked in a passionate kiss took no notice. the musician's guitar stayed beside the door while his feet carried him outside, where he locked the entrance to his home and leaned against the wall for a second. after letting loose a sigh, he went off to stretch his legs -- he could use some_ _more_ _exercise after the semi-lengthy walk back home from his workplace, right?_ Agh... What a bother...

_the musician's weary feet carried him to the small patch of grass and trees which this part of l.a. liked to call a park. it was quite undersized, but not too shabby, and jae was actually okay with it being not so big in proportion: the less pollen and chlorophyll, the safer his nose was from allergies, itching, sneezing excessively, the like. a bench awaited his aching legs, and the man happily fell onto it with a mighty exhale. his eyelids dropped, mind collapsed into a daydream. strangely_ _comfortable, jae dozed off within a heartbeat._

_"hey." jae was stirred awake by a low yet smooth voice issuing from above him. "you need a place to stay?"_

_his lips spread into a sleepy smile, eyes still lightly drawn shut, lashes playfully brushing his cheeks. "brian," he dreamily breathed out. "you're the man."_

_the addressee felt his cheeks bloom with a smile like they seemed to do whenever jae was around._ Then can I be your man for the evening?  _he was tempted to say. but instead, his lips folded into a satisfied, "of course i am." his hand reached out, and, with a grunt which signaled the man sitting on the bench to open his eyes, brian gripped jae's hand which soon rose towards his so he could help the sleepy man up._

_"but truly... thank you." jae didn't make a move to let go of brian's hand. not like either of them minded. "my roommate has his partner over..."_

_"understandable." brian smirked and raised his brows. "they gettin' it on?"_

_jae drowsily huffed out a laugh. "most definitely." a station wagon passing by caught them by surprise with its blaring horn and their hands ripped apart._

*

 

_"so... i see you like music..."_

_"i thought i made that pretty clear."_

_"mm... maybe you did. maybe you didn't." jae's fingers deftly rifled through the stacks of records adorning younghyun's wall. he was suddenly so full of energy! it was an enjoyable sight for brian — the man wished it would never end. he'd put on a vinyl custom-made with some of his favorite songs, and it softly circulated denny davis and roy fox and his orchestra's "what a difference a day made" in the background, a light atmosphere emanating from its gentle yet slightly crackling sounds. just the sight of jae's hands sliding along the vinyl covers brought butterflies to the man's chest, ants to his arms, moths to his stomach. "you have quite a variety."_

_"yep."_

_while jae continued his excited search through the countless shelves lining brian's living room wall, the younger man unnoticeably slunk closer and closer to him until his breath gently landed on the older's nape. jaehyung stilled, arms raised to reach for the highest shelf, breath catching in his throat._ Oh man... _two sturdy arms gently rose around his torso -- jae could just barely see them out of the corners of his eyes, all blurred because they were out of the range of his spectacles -- stopped, seemed to be indecisive in whether they should land on jae's body or not. the older man gulped, steeled himself; his arms lowered until they were laid out atop younghyun's, hands guiding his boss's to rest on his flat stomach._

_brian finally eased up, relaxed a bit. his arms tightened slightly, grin tugged at a relieved mouth. "which is your favorite? you can have it."_

_"i-i-- i mean--" jae stuttered out, fingertips nervously tracing those calloused hands comfortingly holding him. "i like jo stafford, i guess..."_

_"done." one arm left the man's torso and sought out a record right before jae's nose, the one his eyes had nervously snagged the artist's name off of not a second before. "it's yours."_ _warm air against jae's ear, thin lips almost touching his skin, and then it was all gone -- brian was off to hide his flustered face with a call of, "make yourself comfortable while i put on some tea."_

_shaken, the lanky man stood frozen a few seconds before he finally staggered over to the love seat, where he plopped down quite unceremoniously. his eyes roamed the wall in a dreamlike state. had that really just happened? his heart was just about ready to leap out of his chest, he didn't know what to do..._

_"you want some earl grey?"_

_jae snapped out of his daze and sent a soft smile to the host while sitting up more politely on the love seat. "sure thing."_

_brian smiled at him and was off to the kitchen once more. jae took the time to get himself together._ Just be yourself. Be yourself, and don't you rush anything, Jaehyung Park. Take it slow. Don't you dare burn your tongue on that tea Brian's making you...

_the tea was out in no time, set on the coffee table on a tray with sugar and honey set to the side._

_brian sat beside jae on the love seat and nervously turned towards the older man. "jae..."_

_"yes?"_

_the younger man seemed to debate with himself internally before he finally squeezed some words out of his throat. "let me be frank with you. i--" his hands, previously jittering in his lap, flew towards the guitarist's, gently gripping them. jae's heart leapt for the millionth time that day. "i--"_

_"i love you," jae impulsively whispered, his lips parted so his voice was breathy and unexpected._

_brian's eyes grew slightly big, his eyebrows rose, mouth opened a bit. but, not a second later: "i love you, too."_

_"i love you...~" jae leaned forward, his eyes pleading for it to not be some sick joke, for it all to be real, for brian to be accepting and free and at least a bit homosexual and just-as-in-love, and soon he got his answer._

_"saranghaeyo...~" and brian's eyes fluttered shut, breathy exhale met jae's mouth, hands traced all the way up to the musician's hair. lips met lips._

_jeanette macdonald's "isn't it romantic" floated through the air. the teapot stood on the coffee table, forgotten. jae and brian gave each other all they had._


End file.
